Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Chesapeake Energy Corporation (“Chesapeake” or the “Company”) and its subsidiaries have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q as prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This Form 10-Q relates to the three and nine months endedSeptember 30, 2013 (the “Current Quarter” and the “Current Period”, respectively) and the three and nine months endedSeptember 30, 2012 (the “Prior Quarter” and the “Prior Period”, respectively). Chesapeake’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 (“2012 Form 10-K”) includes certain definitions and a summary of significant accounting policies and should be read in conjunction with this Form 10-Q. All material adjustments (consisting solely of normal recurring adjustments) which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods have been reflected. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of Chesapeake include the accounts of our direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries and entities in which Chesapeake holds a controlling interest. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The results for the Current Quarter and Current Period are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Critical Accounting Policies

We consider accounting policies related to variable interest entities, natural gas and oil properties, derivatives and income taxes to be critical policies. These policies are summarized in Item 7 of our 2012 Form 10-K.

Risks and Uncertainties, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Risks and Uncertainties

Our primary business strategy over the last few years was to continue growing our reserves and production while transitioning from an asset base primarily focused on natural gas to an asset base more balanced between natural gas and liquids production. This was a capital-intensive strategy, and we made capital expenditures historically and in the Current Period that exceeded our cash flow from operations, supplementing such cash flows with borrowings, proceeds from strategic joint ventures and sales of assets that we determined were noncore or did not fit our long-term plans. The full year 2013 gap between forecasted capital expenditures and expected cash flow from operations is approximately $3.5 billion; however, this expected spending gap has been fully covered by joint venture and asset sales proceeds received year to date. We are working to execute our business with greater financial discipline and are targeting to balance capital expenditures with cash flow from operations over time. We expect to have the flexibility to fund any short-term disparities using our $4.0 billion corporate revolving credit facility, which was undrawn at September 30, 2013. As we apply available cash from future asset sales and operations towards reducing our financial leverage and complexity, we may incur various cash and noncash charges including but not limited to impairments of fixed assets, lease termination charges or financing extinguishment costs.

We continue to have significant exposure to natural gas prices. Approximately 70% of our estimated proved reserve volumes as of December31, 2012 were natural gas, and natural gas represented approximately 73% and 80% of our natural gas, oil and NGL sales volumes for the Current Quarter and the year ended December 31, 2012, respectively. To add more certainty to our future estimated cash flows, we currently have downside price protection, in the form of over-the-counter derivative contracts, on approximately 80% of our remaining 2013 estimated natural gas production at an average price of $3.69 per mcf and 91% of our remaining 2013 estimated oil production at an average price of $95.59 per bbl. We also have derivative contracts providing downside price protection in 2014 on 251 bcf of natural gas at an average price of $4.22 per mcf and 22 mmbbls of oil at an average price of $93.79 per bbl. While our use of derivative contracts allows us to reduce our exposure to price volatility on our cash flows and EBITDA (defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization), the derivative contracts we elect to enter into for any period depend on our outlook on future prices and our risk assessment. Low natural gas, oil and NGL prices can reduce our estimate of proved reserves, potentially resulting in a future write-down of the carrying value of our natural gas and oil properties. In 2012, when natural gas prices reached 10-year lows, we reduced our estimate of proved reserves by 3.1 tcfe, or 17%, primarily due to the impact of downward natural gas price revisions, and we incurred a $3.3 billion write-down of the carrying value of our natural gas and oil properties. Future impairments of the carrying value of our natural gas and oil properties, if any, will be dependent on many factors, including natural gas, oil and NGL prices, production rates, levels of reserves, the evaluation of costs excluded from amortization, the timing and impact of asset sales, future development costs and service costs.